I did not take this picture because the very noisy Blue Jay that has been visiting my patio is also suuuuuper paranoid and I have yet to be able to capture his image. I found this very pretty photo here. I really enjoy birds and I absolutely love the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It is an endless source of information and they are always doing good things for birds and the environment.

2016 may be remembered (at least by some members of my family) as the Summer of Fudge. Hoo boy! We ate more fudge this summer than we did all year! This is not a good thing, but in the moment it was glorious. Here’s a peek at a wee sampling. We bought these two at the Anne of Green Gables Chocolates inside Avonlea Village in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. If you head into Charlottetown, PEI, you can watch them making some of the confections through big windows from inside the shop. (Then you’ll very likely need to purchase some “COW Chips”. Consider this fair warning.)

We also had fudge purchased at the PEI Preserve Company. I think it was made by the New Glasgow Candy Company (though there’s no remaining evidence to serve as proof) and the flavour was Turtle Delight. As you can imagine it was – wait for it – delightful.

How do you feel about cheese curds? I mean real, honest-to-goodness, full fat, squeaky, cheese curds. They’re awesome right? We used to buy St. Albert’s when we lived in Ottawa and they were great. This summer my brother had some he purchased at Costco (I presume, as the bag was pretty large) and they were delicious and very real. I’m going to have to get the details before I go next time. Hmm. Or should I not get the details? Cheese can be dangerous. Though, soon it will be playing a substantial role in meal prep ’round here. Actually, as it is Taco Tuesday (but we skipped tacos tonight) there’s usually at least two kinds of shredded cheese on the go. Mmm. Cheese.

Speaking of cheese, do you get all caught up in changing your decor over from Summer to Fall? (Stay with me. This is going somewhere.) (Plus, hello! Random Tuesday!) Do you have a set idea of what constitutes Fall decor? Are you mad about Mums or is Mum the word where your personal plans lie? I ask because I love Fall Mums, (I have written about them here. Several times, apparently.), but it has recently been brought to my attention that some people loathe them. They are cliché and played out as far as some of my Mum friends (that’s mother Mum, not plant Mum) are concerned. They’d rather have nothing than a Fall Mum. I can understand not loving a street full of the same flowers, but I find them to be very happy making. Especially the gigantic ones I get (in yellow, usually) from Costco. (Although, to be honest, I saw one today when I was there and it was looking a little long in the tooth. Mind you, I was practically running through the aisles to get to the checkout to buy movie passes. Jumpins! Costco needs a new system for buying things like passes. * eye twitch * Don’t get me started. That’s an entire (rant filled) post waiting to happen.) Meanwhile, my friend has gotten into my head and now I am not sure I want Mums. Well, I do, but maybe not only Mums.

As luck would have it Kent has sunflowers in planters that basically look like a live bouquet, so maybe I’ll get a couple of those instead.

What do you keep growing in and around your space when Autumn weather arrives?

I asked Thing 2 to say the first and most random thing that popped into her head this morning and she exclaimed, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” with such glee that I would be remiss to not share this gem right this minute.

Did you hear that Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke will have cameos in a new reboot of Mary Poppins? True story.

We just had an awesome and delicious snack and I am not exaggerating one bit when I tell you the kids can make it themselves. I whipped it up this time, but next time they’re on their own. Frankly, it’s just as well. I don’t think I can be trusted all alone with its deliciousness.

Have I piqued your interest? Are you curious? Are you sitting on the edge of your seat?

Well, okay then. I’ll tell you what our scrumptious afternoon snack was today. It was so simple you might just think I am silly for blogging about it. Then again you didn’t think to have this today, did you? Oh ho ho! I’ve got you there, haven’t I?

Okay, okay. Enough with the suspense already!

We had juicy, fresh, local strawberries dipped in white chocolate. Ta daa!

So easy! Right?

Here’s what I did.

Pick or buy fresh local strawberries. Ours were bought, but most definitely local and oh so fresh.

Clean them and remove any that might be iffy or mushy or underripe. Taste test 17 just to be sure.

Get some good quality, white chocolate. Today we used Baker’s, but white chocolate chips, white chocolate melting wafers, white chocolate chunks from your bulk food store, etc., would all work fine.

Break the chocolate into individual squares. Or if using larger blocks chop it up using a serrated edge knife. This will help it melt faster and also will give you a chance to taste test the chocolate to make sure it hasn’t gone bad. It hasn’t. Taste it anyway. You know, just in case.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. I used one of my trusty little square dip bowls from President’s Choice. (More on those later. It’s a very short love story.)

Pop the chocolate into the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir gently. You are not trying to whip it up, really, you want smooth, bubble-free, shiny chocolate. Place back in microwave for 10 seconds. Stir. This may be enough time, but if you need more melting time, be sure to use only 10 second intervals because you don’t want the chocolate to seize or burn. That’d be a shame.

Give the chocolate one final gentle stir and place in the centre of a platter.

Fill the platter with your beautiful, clean, fresh, local strawberries and stand back while the wolverines – umm – I mean children dig in!

See?

I bet you’re glad I suggested all that taste testing when you first started this little snack journey, now, aren’t you?

It’s Monday and that seems as good a day as any to post something new, doesn’t it? Plus, posting something happy on a Monday just seems kind of rebellious, so I am embracing my inner rebel and making a list of 25 Things in the hopes that sharing a bit of happy might help someone who is feeling the way I was feeling last week. (hint: not at all happy)

So, without further ado, here are 25 Happy Things To Think About Right This Minute. Maybe, don’t think about all 25 at once because we don’t want anyone’s brain to implode with awesomeness, but combining two or three at a time should be alright.

Here’s to happy Mondays!

James Corden singing with pretty much anyone, at all, ever.

The Peeper Frogs that are back and have been making their unmistakable peeps in the evening in Bedford.

Tiny Kitchen cooking videos.

Brand new purple pens.

Finishing your taxes.

Writing an honest-to-goodness old fashioned letter and mailing it.

Being told you have made someone’s day.

Using a favourite coffee mug and then putting it back into retirement to keep it safe.

This kitten, who is obviously seizing the day.

The fact that your kids will have hours of daylight to play in outside after school this week.

I’m just about to head out (on this no school day) to take Thing 1 to band rehearsal. They are preparing for a music festival next week and they all agreed (teenagers are awesome, btw) that they needed more work on their pieces. So, despite the fact that there is no school today there will be a band room full of sleepy, gangly, teenagers, trying their best to make marches sound remarkable and make their teacher proud.

Their teacher. This woman, you guys! She is a saint. She makes band fun. Yes, they work. Yes they are graded (because it is an actual, take-time-from-the-school-day class). No they do not all get easy perfect marks. It isn’t simply a boost to the aggregate. In fact there have been times when it has brought it down, but we are so very thankful for it.

I’ll be brief.

That was maybe a lie.

Oh well!

I am popping in here to post because I am starting to feel like if I don’t do that right now I might never do it again.

It’s not that I don’t have lots to say. (Umm hello! Have you met me*?!?) It’s more that I am trying to figure out a direction for my blog and whether or not the things I have to say are worthy to publish**.

Honestly, I don’t know why I care about that.

It’s not like hoards of people are lining up here to critique my every word or shame my choices. It’s a silly thing I really need to get over if I am to continue writing at all in this space.

The good news is that I am writing. (Here, there, and everywhere.) The bad news is that even after a couple of years of doing this I obviously still need a push.

Meh.

I’ll get over myself momentarily.

Meanwhile, thanks for sticking around. You are nice.

Happy Thursday!

Most of you probably have. Go ahead. Tell the people. I am one loquacious Peady.

** Worthy? Who cares? Hitting publish right now! No picture or SEO or anything. Oooooh! Risky!